The Detroit Tigers’ offseason has started with a bang in recent days. As expected, Tigers’ star pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez decided to opt out of his contract, leaving behind a three-year, $49 million deal. Furthermore, they’ve already completed a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers to acquire outfielder Mark Canha. Amidst all the contract negotiations and arbitration discussions, it raises the question: When will the players actually return to the field? The next destination is spring training.
The specific date for when the Tigers’ pitchers and catchers will report in 2024 has not been officially announced yet. However, based on the Tigers’ historical schedules, we can make an educated guess with a small margin of error.
In the previous year, the World Baseball Classic introduced some variations. Three pitchers, including Eduardo Rodriguez, who represented Venezuela, reported to Lakeland on Monday, February 13, while the rest arrived on Wednesday, February 15. In recent years, Tigers pitchers and catchers have consistently reported on the second or third Wednesday of February. This suggests that the most likely date for 2024 is Wednesday, February 14, about a week and a half before their first spring training game.
As for the start of the Tigers’ spring training schedule, they will begin with a game against the New York Yankees on February 24, as indicated by their official schedule. This marks a departure from their usual tradition of opening with a game against the Phillies for the past four years. The Tigers’ schedule also includes split squad games on February 27, March 7, 15, and 23. Their spring training will conclude at Tropicana Field against the Rays on March 26, giving them just a single day of rest before they travel to the south side of Chicago for the White Sox’s home opener. They will spend a week on the road before their opening game at Comerica Park against the Oakland Athletics on April 5.
